Page 64 of Gilded Curses

Orin couldn’t stop himself from chuckling. “Of course you have.”

As he glanced over the crowd again, he reminded himself that though they were pawns, a pawn could take a king. After this, he vowed to no longer be a pawn in their games.

Knowing what he had to do, Orin looked at Zeth again while he raised the hatchet. Their gazes remained locked as, without a sound, Orin swung it down. The blade cleaved straight through muscle and bone that cracked with a snap.

As Orin had known he wouldn’t, the demon never screamed.

CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

Unable to sit still, Sahira anxiously paced the lawn near the stables. It had been hours since the men rode out for the hunt; she didn’t know if they’d return today… or at all, but she couldn’t bring herself to leave.

And the guards and servants were no help. She’d asked if they were supposed to return today, but no one answered her.

She’d heard carriages rattle away hours ago, but they’d still been in the gardens, and she couldn’t see what was happening. No one would tell her anything about that either. It was all so maddening.

Tugging at her hair, she refrained from muttering to herself while pacing. Her endless walking had worn a path through the grass, turning it nearly to dirt.

She brought her hand to her mouth and almost started biting her nails again before recalling that nothing remained to bite. She’d eaten them off hours ago.

Elsa and Pip sat on the stairs, watching her as the sky turned various shades of colors with the setting sun.

“Maybe we should eat something,” Elsa suggested. “You haven’t had anything since breakfast.”

Sahira couldn’t think about eating right now, especially since that strawberry jam was still burning her throat. “I’m not hungry.”

The thud of horses’ hooves vibrating the ground alerted her they were coming before she saw or heard them. As a witch, she was more in tune with the earth and its energy beneath her feet.

So was Elsa as her friend rose from the porch and strode over to stand beside her. Elsa’s fingers were warm and strong as they clasped Sahira’s wrist.

Sahira braced herself for the worst. There was no way anything good had come of this hunting adventure.

When Pip joined them, she climbed up to sit on Sahira’s shoulder. “They’re fine. They’re all fine.”

Sahira wished she could believe her, but she didn’t argue as she lifted her free hand and held up her finger for the brownie to clasp. “They’re all fine.”

Maybe if she said it, it would come true. There was no harm in trying to talk it into being true.

The hoofbeats grew close enough for her to hear them as they thundered across the ground. When they broke over the top of a hill, the large contingent finally came into view.

The blue clothes of the dagadon guards spread across the land as far as she could see; the brighter colors of the Elite’s clothing stood starkly out from all the blue.

The wagons that rode out after them came into view with the servants, as did a grouping of carriages. Her brow furrowed at the sight of those carriages.

Did the Elite women join them on the hunt?

She hadn’t seen any of them in hours, but they rarely saw them outside the dining room. Why would they keep that hidden from them?

I’m never eating strawberry jam again; she decided as it burned onto her tongue. It was a shame too, as it was a favorite, but she’d never be able to look at it again without thinking of this.

The Elite men rode in the front, but the jovial air that surrounded them when they all left was gone. Then, they’d laughed, shouted, and promised it would be the best hunt ever. Now, they all looked like a five-year-old who had their lollipop ripped from their hands midlick.

Heart hammering, Sahira frantically searched for Orin, Zeth, Loth, and Fath but didn’t see them. Finally, she glimpsed Zeth in the center of the dagadon guards.

Dozens of guards surrounded him, but his height made him stand out. She couldn’t see his face before he rode into the stables and out of view.

“Where is Orin?” she breathed.

“I’m sure he’s in there,” Elsa assured her. “There were too many of them to see everyone.”